


Get Better

by Headphone_Love



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [10]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bad Things Happen Bingo, Gen, No Romance, Shiro (Voltron) Has Issues, Shiro (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Shiro (Voltron)-centric, Space Uncle Coran (Voltron), Supportive Coran (Voltron), Supportive Keith (Voltron), Supportive Lance (Voltron), Team as Family, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-26
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:48:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22414270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Headphone_Love/pseuds/Headphone_Love
Summary: His bayard.Shiro couldn’t find hisbayard.And now, he had no time.
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1073850
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34





	Get Better

**Author's Note:**

> Request for Anon that is super late and I am super super super sorry! 
> 
> _“Hi! Could you please do a gen fic with Dragged by the Ankle + Shiro?”_
> 
> Why, yes I can, anon. And for your patience, I wrote this at once because I felt really bad about making you wait. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

Walking through darkened halls always did something to Shiro.

He wasn’t sure why, but the air around him always grew thinner and the spots at the ends of his vision would grow if he didn’t get to his room fast enough. Whether the spots were hallucinations or maybe just his vision beginning to fail him, he wasn’t sure.

No. He didn’t want to know.

Pressing his back to his door, he let out a shaky breath and raised an equally shaky hand to wipe the sweat along his forehead. He gulped down as much air as he could in the comfort of his room before sitting and waiting for his heart to get with the program. A minute turned into five, and then five turned into ten.

It was only when he heard chattering in the halls—no doubt Keith and Lance bickering as usual—that he realized the minutes had been hours. It had to be late if he could hear the two fellow paladins coming back from training. Forcing himself to his feet, he moved to his bathroom to at least shower.

The light flickered to life and illuminated the room to the point that Shiro felt his shoulders drop. He hadn’t even realized they’d been stuck in whatever position they’d been in, but the tension in his neck reminded him of it as he stripped.

The hot water felt nice against the aching muscles and he wondered whether training as he had before would ever be an option for him. Considering what he’d nearly done to Lance and Pidge the last time, he was almost terrified of what would happen once Coran finished making the alterations to his arm.

Even now, he had sworn that he’d seen the Galra. He had seen them in place of Lance and Pidge and because of that, he’d nearly taken them down without an ounce of doubt. If Keith hadn’t knocked him out, they might have been three paladins down and the thought alone had Shiro wanting to retch what little food he had managed to eat earlier that night.

Swallowing the urge, he washed his body and hair, letting the water move over his face before shutting it off and grabbing his towel. He left the bathroom but left the light on as usual and dressed in the most comfortable clothes he had available. They were soft and reminded him of times with Adam—Did you use all of the softener on one load? Takashi!—and a rare smile crept onto his lips.

The memory of bubbles and a red-faced Adam sent a warmth stronger than what the shower could offer across his body in an instant wave.

He moved to his bed with the smile still etched onto his lips, lying down and staring at the ceiling silently. He let his mind wander through the remainder of his memories as he often did, hoping that he wouldn’t forget anymore considering how long it’d been since he’d seen Earth…

And how his mind had been tampered with without his consent.

Shutting his eyes, his mind wandered deeper into the recesses of his mind to things he stored away for times like these. Both the great and the awful flooded over him, though he pressed on with little to no movement. His breathing evened out and his mind at once point was full of nothing: having gone through all that it had to offer.

So it began imagining instead.

Imagining life on Earth if he hadn’t accidentally become a paladin. Whether the others would be in a better position to have a paladin who was in full health rather than one missing an arm and full of mental monsters. Would whoever replaced Shiro have been the pillar of stability the team needed?

Had Shiro ever even been stable enough to be called a pillar in the first place?

A headache began to form in his temples, but when he tried to raise his arms, he found them to be heavy.

Too heavy for comfort's sake.

So he opened his eyes.

The room was exactly as he’d left it, though darker without the light from his bathroom. He attempted to swallow only to find it hard to do, and so his breathing grew labored as the saliva pooled near the back of his throat. The familiar black dots in his vision returned with a vengeance, though this time they were accompanied by the sounds of steps that Shiro had to strain to hear. Cold washed over him; the warmth of his memories fading and forgotten in the dark.

And then Shiro was moving, sliding off the bed as the familiar feeling of pain and moisture bloomed in his ankle.

Claws.

His good arm flew out in an attempt at balance, the paladin aiming to reach under his pillow as he fought the hand that held him tightly in a death grip. Even when he managed to shove his hand beneath it to grab his bayard, he was dragged to the floor of his room with a loud thump. His eyes closed for a moment at the impact and when they opened he was no longer on the ship or in his room.

He was in the dirt of a planet he couldn’t remember the name of any more.

He was staring face to face with the Galra, smiles on their lips and nothing in their eyes other than glee.

He raised his hand only to find it empty again and his heart thumped roughly against his ribs.

His bayard.

Shiro couldn’t find his _bayard_.

And now, he had no time and he was being taken to God knows where which meant he was a goner for sure.

A scream tried to leave his lips but all that came out was the buildup of saliva from earlier, slipping down his chin and along his neck. Gurgling sounds that had him choking were all he could manage until nothing was left.

Then, the scream made itself known as he squeezed his eyes shut.

Were the others safe?

Was it just him that had been taken again?

“Shiro!”

He knew that voice, but it was so far away. The pressure on his chest grew with each shout of his name until it sounded like it was right in front of him. 

“Shiro!”

Snapping his eyes open, Shiro found himself panting and trembling in the exact spot he’d laid down earlier. He was sweating profusely and his throat felt raw, but through bleary eyes, he could see Lance and Keith staring at him with wide eyes. Lance was at the forefront, seeming to have shaken him away if his grip on Shiro’s shoulders was anything to go by.

“Shiro…you’re alright, man,” Lance spoke softly—a lot softer than Shiro had ever heard. “You’re okay. You’re here with us on the ship and you are okay.”

His eyes immediately darted to his ankle where he could see that he was still fully intact. No injuries or blood that would have been proof that what he had felt was real.

“What…where…” 

“We heard you screaming,” Keith said, moving closer once Lance let Shiro go. The two teens exchanged glances at each other before Lance nodded, leaving the room with a nod and a small smile towards their leader. “You sounded like you were in pain so we thought you might have hurt yourself but you were…”

Shiro waited for Keith to find his words, knowing the other often had a hard time with situations like these. It was why Shiro was the leader…

Or had been, when he had been competent enough to claim the title.

“You were asleep,” Keith said finally, looking torn between proud and on edge. “You were asleep but you were thrashing and gripping onto Lance and…”

The words took a moment to settle. Shiro moved to sit up with assistance from Keith, eyes down on his lap and eyeing his sheets.

“I feel asleep,” Shiro repeated. All that he had seen…that he had felt was nothing but him having a nightmare.

His stomach lurched and he found himself moving to the bathroom. Keith followed instantly, standing in the doorway while Shiro retched and curled into himself. Not even a minute later, there was a hand on his back and a warm presence at his side.

“You’ll be alright, number 1,” Coran’s voice offered quietly. “When you are able…I would very much like to hear what you saw and felt. Perhaps that will help in figuring out a way to minimize these images from recurring.” 

Tears pooled at his eyes but didn’t fall.

Shiro nodded, clenching and unclenching his fists while he stared into the bowl. When he managed to raise his head, he could see Keith and Lance staring at him with concerned expressions. His eyes then moved to the Altean sitting beside him, receiving a blinding smile instead.

“Will I ever be okay?” Shiro questioned when he was positive he wouldn’t expel the remaining contents of his stomach onto Coran. A part of him wasn’t sure if he was asking himself or the Altean, but regardless he received a chuckle in response. It wasn’t what he’d been expecting, and by how Keith cleared his throat and Lance muttered a small “really, Coran?” under his breath, neither had they. 

“That’s like asking if the war will ever end,” Coran teased as best he could, Shiro going tense before the elder continued. “Short answer: Yes, of course. And you will win against whatever is causing this. I’m sure of it. There is a reason you’re the black paladin, my boy.”

Shiro then let out a soft sigh and could feel his body growing tired once again. The feeling of arms grabbing him had him tensing again until Lance’s voice broke through the flurry of thoughts beginning to form. 

“C’mon, big guy. You look like you could use some quality team time.”

“Do you have to be you right now? Keith questioned as Lance shot him a look. 

“Better than being _you_ , I’d say,” Lance tossed back as the two began to bicker. Shiro welcomed the normalcy as they led him out of his room and down the familiar dark hallway. He shut his eyes tightly until they came to a stop. 

This time when he opened them, the dimmed lights of the medical bay greeted him along with the rest of his team in various states of disarray. Despite this, they had smiles on their lips when they spotted him as if they hadn't been woken up at an ungodly hour. 

And suddenly, the air wasn’t as thin as he remembered. 

He took a breath.


End file.
